Marriage Trends and the Effects on Women's Benefits

A significantly larger proportion of women were ineligible for Social Security spousal and survivor benefits in 2009 than in 1990 due to changes in marital trends

For example, in 2009, 16 percent of women aged 50–59 had marital histories that made them ineligible for spousal or survivor benefits, compared with 8 percent in 1990.1,2

This change is driven by increasing proportions of women who never marry and, to a lesser extent, a rise in divorced women without a 10-year marriage

In 2009, 9 percent of women aged 50–59 had never married compared with 5 percent in 1990.1 This trend may reduce some women's retirement income, particularly in groups with limited economic resources.

There are sharp differences in eligibility for spousal and survivor benefits based on variations in marital history by race and ethnicity

A decline in marriage rates has been more pronounced among black women of more recent birth cohorts relative to white women. For example, in 2009, around 22 percent of black women aged 50–59 had never married compared with 7 percent of comparable white women. In 1990, the share of never married was 8 percent and 4 percent respectively.3

Percentage of Women Ineligible for Social Security Spousal or Survivor Benefits Due to Marital History, by Age Group, 1990 and 2009

2 Women's declining potential eligibility for spousal and survivor benefits will not necessarily lead to reduced retirement well-being, as increasing labor force participation and earnings will provide some women with higher benefits based on their own earnings records than they would have received as a spouse or survivor with a qualifying marriage.

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